Trussed brake-beam.



E. G. BUSSE.

TRUSSED BRAKE BEAM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. I916.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

[1V YEA! TOR EDM/V G B05527 J I I EDWIN G. 'IBUSSE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 CHICAGO RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TRUSSED BRAKE-BEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20,

Application filed August 11, 1916. Serial 'No. 114,421.

To all witoin it may concern: .Be it known that I, EDWIN G. B ss a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State v enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. This invention relates broadly to railway rolling stock and specifically to certain improvements in the construction of trussed brake beams.

In the use of trussed brakebeams having forged strut members, it has been demonstrated that more or less displacement of the strut longitudinally of the compression member is likely to occurydue, no doubt, to

the flexible nature of the forged strut. As

is well known in the art, a forged strut customarily is in the form of a strip of rolled or wrought metal which is bent about the compression member and has the end portions projecting forwardly therefrom and formed with the holes for the brake lever pivot pin, and to support a terminal seat member which engages the tension member. Customarily the strut is held in position by the compression inserted between the tension and compression members of the brake beam, and, in some instances, a wedge key is used for wedging the compression member in the seat of the strut. However, due to the flexibility of the forged struts, as above stated, they cannot always be held in proper position by the ordinary expedients.

It is the purpose of my invention, therefore, to provide a trussed brake beam which is improved in certain particulars of its construction with the specific 'purpose of preventing displacement of the strut longiiudinally of the tension or compression memers.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated certain embodiments of my invention,

Figure'l being a partial top view of a brake beam showing my improved strut connections;

Fig. 2, a side view of the strut, the same being in the nature of a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a detail being a partial top view of a strut and compression member showing a modified form of connection;

7 1g. 4, a side view of the same; and

Fig. 5, an end view of the strut as seen in Fig. l.

acters of reference, it will be understood that the numeral 1 indicates the compression member of the brake beam, and 2 the tension member. The forged strut illustrated consists of the body strip 4 which is bent to form a seat encompassing the compression member, and portions extending forwardly therefrom being connected by rivets 5. A seat block 6 is mounted between the forward extremities of the strip 4, being held in position by suitable fastening means such as one or more of the rivets 5.

As a means for securing the strut member to the compression member so as to prevent displacement of the former longitudinally of the latter, I form in the corner portions of the compression member shallow notches 7 having at least two faces disposed approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the compression member.

Referring to the illustrations by char-' When the beam'is assembled, the strut is customarily slipped over the end of the compression member and located at the proper point. The perpendicular faces of the notches 7 are so spaced as to abut and en gage the edges of the corners of the strut when the latter are bent inwardly so 'as to seat them in the notches. This is readily accomplished by a few blows of the hammer when the strut has been moved to properv operation of the brake lever, I provide the seat member 6 with a clamping portion 9, in addition to the ordinary truss rod seat 8. As the seat member 6 is of malleable material, the clamping portion 9 is sufliciently flexible to permit the insertion of the tension member and is of a. form complementary to the seat portion 8 so as to cooperate therewith ,to encompass and clasp the tension rod. The seat portion 8 and the clamping member 9 have cooperating extensions 10 adapted for the reception of a fastening such as the bolt 11, whereby the clamping member 9 may be drawn toward the seat portion 8 so as to firmly clamp the tension member. This clamping engagement of the strut with the tension member will prevent any movement of the former relative to the latter such as would throw the strut out of line and permit the dislodgment of the inwardly bent corner portions which lie in the notches 7 In Figs. 3 and 4:, I have shown a modified form of the connection for preventing displacement of the strut and compression members. In this form a notch 7 is cut in the margin of one of the flanges of the tension member, so as to leave perpendicular faces at the sides of the strut, and a portion of the strut is hammered into the notch, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The forms of strut connection above de scribed will effectively maintain the strut in proper position relative to the tension and compression members, and, at the same time, will permit of the removal of the strut when necessary, as there are no permanent fastenings employed. These connections do not weaken the compression member, as, when the brakes are applied, the compression across th notched portion is carried by the interposed part of the strut.

I am aware that the construction is susceptible of obvious alterations Without departing from the scope of the invention involved.

VVhatI claim is: I

1. A brake beam including in combination, a strut member, a compression member supporting one end of the strut member and having stop portions engaging the strut member laterally to prevent movement thereof longitudinally of the compression member. a tension member connected to the compression member and engaging the other extremity of the strut member, and adjustable means carried by the strut member and adapted to engage the tension member to secure the strut member against movement longitudinally thereof.

In a brake beam, the combination of a strut member, a compression member supporting one extremity thereof, the strut member having a portion bent to form a seat encompassing the compression member, and the compression member having notched portions cooperating with the strut member to hold it against movement longitudinally of the compression member, a part of the strut member being displaced from its normal conformation to engage said notched portions.

3. In a brake beam, the combination of a malleable strut member and a compression member having stop portions; part of the strut member being deflected from its normal conformation for engagement with said stop portions.

4. In a brake beam, a strut member havmg at one of its extremities a seat portion adapted for the reception of a truss member, a flexible clamping member carried by the seat portion and adapted for engagement with a truss member thereon, and means for securing said clamping member in clamping cooperation with the seat portion.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 8th day of August, 1916.

EDIVIN G. BUSSE. Witnesses:

'E. T. WALKER, M. F. HUNTOON. 

